Double Man Utd swoop to kickstart Michael Carrick era as INEOS flop will ‘definitely leave’ | OneFootball

Manchester United are reportedly ready to back caretaker boss Michael Carrick with two January signings, while flop midfielder Manuel Ugarte is poised to find a new club.

Man Utd sacked Ruben Amorim on January 5 after his falling out with director of football Jason Wilcox and his explosive post-Leeds United press conference, where he said he joined the club to be the manager, not the head coach. Man Utd appointed Darren Fletcher on an interim basis before giving the job to Carrick until the end of the season.

Carrick hopes to become United’s permanent manager, though that will depend on how his team performs over the coming months.

Carrick’s reign could start with the sale of Ugarte and the arrival of two new players. According to Turkish reporter Yakup Cinar, the failed INEOS signing will ‘definitely leave’ Old Trafford and is in discussions to join Galatasaray.

“Galatasaray is in constant work for Manuel Ugarte,” Cinar said (via Turkish source Haber Sari Kirmizi). “Players like [Fernando] Muslera and [Lucas] Torreira are also in talks about joining Galatasaray.

“Galatasaray want to sign him [Ugarte] on loan with a purchase option. The player will definitely leave Manchester United.”

Ruben Neves could quickly arrive to replace Ugarte in Carrick’s squad. The Guardian revealed earlier this week that Carrick’s priority is to sign a new midfielder this month, with Al-Hilal’s Neves having emerged as a key target.

There will be ‘finance at Carrick’s disposal’, and United are plotting a £20million swoop to bring Neves back to the Premier League.

INEOS see this as great value for an experienced 28-year-old midfielder who previously shone at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

According to transfer reporter Pete O’Rourke, a left winger will likely follow Neves to Old Trafford. United recruitment chiefs have made signing a left-sided attacker a ‘top priority this month’ and are ‘exploring’ potential options.

Conflicting reports on Man Utd business

O’Rourke does not name any specific targets, though they are likely to emerge in the coming days. United are known to hold interest in RB Leipzig wide man Yan Diomande, but he is off limits this month.

Indeed, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Diomande is preparing to leave Leipzig this summer, setting up a major transfer battle between United and Liverpool.

The Red Devils previously expressed interest in Antoine Semenyo, only for him to prioritise a move to rivals Manchester City instead.

It must be noted that there are conflicting reports over United’s potential transfer business this month. ESPN reported on Wednesday that United are not actively planning any January transfers, forcing Carrick to work with the squad he has inherited.

The Guardian and ESPN are two reliable sources, so it will be interesting to see which direction United go in this month.

Man Utd transfer news: Tottenham battle underway; Brentford star wants move

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to build on the signing of Conor Gallagher by capturing a prime United target in an even bigger swoop.

United finalised a £71m deal for Bryan Mbeumo last summer, and he could soon be followed to Old Trafford by one of his former team-mates.